ict for disaster management_ict for disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness

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ICT for Disaster Management/ICT for Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Preparedness 1

ICT for Disaster Management/ICT for Disaster

Prevention, Mitigation and Preparedness

ICT for Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Preparedness

The first important steps towards reducing disaster impact are to correctly analyse the potential risk and identify

measures that can prevent, mitigate or prepare for emergencies. ICT can play a significant role in highlighting risk

areas, vulnerabilities and potentially affected populations by producing geographically referenced analysis through,

for example, a geographic information system (GIS). The importance of timely disaster warning in mitigating

negative impacts can never be underestimated. For example, although damage to property cannot be avoided,

developed countries have been able to reduce loss of life due to disasters much more effectively than their

counterparts in the developing world (see Table 1). A key reason for this is the implementation of effective disaster

warning systems and evacuation procedures used by the developed countries, and the absence of such measures in

the developing world.

A major landslip after the earthquake in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan

Table 1: Comparison of Damage Caused by Three Recent Disasters
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Sources: BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk; Central Bank of Sri Lanka: http://www.cbsl.lk; http://www.pakquake.

com; US National Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov''

All the figures reported in Table 1 are rough estimates as it is impossible to have exact figures in such situations.

However, Table 1 clearly shows that in the case of Hurricane Katrina, although the economic loss and damage to

property were much higher, the number of deaths was remarkably less than that resulting from the Indian Ocean

tsunami in Sri Lanka and the Pakistan earthquake. This is largely because in Sri Lanka and Pakistan, the victims

were mainly communities living below the poverty line a factor that significantly contributed to their vulnerability

and because effective disaster warning systems were not in place. In New Orleans, official warnings were

dispatched in advance and many in the affected areas were evacuated in time. In addition, the disaster management

process was much better than what it had been in Sri Lanka and Pakistan, despite the heavy criticism it received.

A warning can be defined as the communication of information about a hazard or threat to a population at risk, in

order for them to take appropriate actions to mitigate any potentially negative impacts on themselves, those in their

care and their property (Samarajiva et al., 2005).

The occurrence of a hazard does not necessarily result in a disaster.While hazards cannot be avoided, their negative

impacts can be mitigated. The goal of early public warning is to ensure to the greatest extent possible that the hazard

does not become a disaster. Such warnings must be unambiguous, communicate the risks succinctly and provide

necessary guidance.

The success of a warning can be measured by the actions that it causes people to take, such as evacuation or avoiding

at-risk areas. In a disaster situation, there is no doubt that timely warnings allow people to take actions that save

lives, reduce damage to property and minimize human suffering. To facilitate an effective warning system, there is a

major need for better coordination among the early warning providers as well as those handling logistics and raising

awareness about disaster preparedness and management.

While disaster warnings are meant to be a public good, they are often most effectively delivered through

privately-owned communication networks and devices. There are many new communication technologies that allow

warning providers not only to reach the people at risk but also to personalize their warning message to a particular

situation. Opportunities are available right now to significantly reduce loss of life and potential economic hardship if

disaster warning systems can be improved.

It is important to note that disaster warning is indeed a system, not a singular technology, constituting the

identification, detection and risk assessment of the hazard, the accurate identification of the vulnerability of a

population at risk, and finally, the communication of information about the threat to the vulnerable population in

sufficient time and clarity so that they can take action to avert negative consequences. This final component

underscores the importance of education and creating awareness in the population so that they may respond with theappropriate actions (Samarajiva et al., 2005).
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Key Players in Disaster Warning

The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR) identifies several key parties that play

major roles in the disaster management process, especially in disaster warning (UN/ISDR, 2006).

Communities, particularly those most vulnerable, are vital to people-centred early warning systems. Their input into

system design and their ability to respond ultimately determine the extent of risk associated with natural hazards.

Communities should be aware of hazards and potential negative impacts to which they are exposed and be able to

take specific actions to minimize the threat of loss or damage. As such, the geographic location of a community is an

essential determinant in the selection of disasters on which the system should focus their community education.For

example, coastal communities need to be educated and prepared for the possibility of a tsunami, while a mountain

community can be educated to respond to an early warning system for landslides.

Local governments should have considerable knowledge of the hazards to which their communities are exposed.

They must be actively involved in the design and maintenance of early warning systems, and understand information

received to be able to advise, instruct or engage the local population in a manner that increases their safety and

reduces the potential loss of resources on which the community depends.

National governments are responsible for policies and frameworks that facilitate early warning, in addition to the

technical systems necessary for the preparation and issuance of timely and effective hazard warnings for their

respective countries. They should ensure that warnings and related responses are directed towards the most

vulnerable populations through the design of holistic disaster response and early warning frameworks that address

the specific needs of the related micro- and macro-level actors. The provision of support to local communities and

local governments to develop operational capabilities is an essential function to translate early warning knowledge

into risk reduction practices.

Regional institutions and organizations should provide specialized knowledge and advice in support of national

efforts to develop or sustain the operational capabilities of countries that share a common geographical environment.

Regional organizations are crucial to linking international capabilities to the particular needs of individual countries

and in facilitating effective early warning practices among adjacent countries.

International bodies should provide support for national early warning activities and foster the exchange of data

and knowledge between individual countries. Support may include the provision of advisory information, technical

assistance, and policy and organizational support necessary to ensure the development and operational capabilities of

national authorities or agencies responsible for early warning practice.

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play a critical role in raising awareness among individuals and

organizations involved in early warning and in the implementation of early warning systems, particularly at the

community level. In addition, they play an important advocacy role to help ensure that early warning stays on the

agenda of government policy makers.

The private sector has a diverse role to play in early warning, including developing early warning capabilities in

their own organizations. The private sector is also essential as they are usually better equipped to implement

ICT-based solutions. The private sector has a large untapped potential to help provide skilled services in the form of

technical manpower, know-how, or donations of goods or services (in-kind and cash), especially for the

communication, dissemination and response elements of early warning.

The media plays an important role in improving the disaster consciousness of the general population and in

disseminating early warnings.The media can be the critical link between the agency providing the warning and the

general public.

The scientific community has a critical role in providing specialized scientific and technical input to assist

governments and communities in developing early warning systems. Their expertise is critical to analysing the risks

communities face from natural hazards, supporting the design of scientific and systematic monitoring and warning

services, fostering data exchange, translating scientific or technical information into comprehensible messages, and


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disseminating understandable warnings to those at risk.

Channels Used for Disaster Warning

The following are some of the media both traditional and new that can be effectively used for disaster warning

purposes. Some may be more effective than the rest, depending on the nature of the disaster, the regions affected, the

socio-economic status of the affected communities and their political architecture. However, it is not a question ofone medium against another. All are means to a common goal of passing along disaster warnings as quickly and as

accurately as possible. Any one or combination of the following media can be used for that purpose.

Radio and Television

Considered the most traditional electronic media used for disaster warning, radio and television have a valid use. The

effectiveness of these two media is high because even in developing countries and rural environments where the

tele-density is relatively low, they can be used to spread a warning quickly to a broad population.The only possible

drawback of these two media is that their effectiveness is significantly reduced at night, when they are normally

switched off. A study on media, perception and disaster-related behaviour in Bangladesh revealed that early, easily

understandable and language-appropriate warning dissemination through radio can reduce the potential death toll ofcatastrophic cyclone and tidal bore. The study, conducted by the Forum for Development, Journalism and

Communication Studies, recommended that relevant authorities develop innovative warning signal systems and take

necessary steps to disseminate the warning in easily understood language through radio at least two days before a

cyclone hits, hence mitigating the loss of lives and property every year in Bangladesh. Mohammad Sahid Ullah, the

Chittagong University professor who led the study, suggests that part of the process is increasing public confidence

in broadcast media since self-evacuation and the poor quality of shelters are the major causes of death (Sahid Ullah,

2003). After the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004,many radio manufacturers considered introducing new digital radio

alert systems that react even if the set is switched off. In order to trigger this alarm, a special flag integrated into the

received signal from a terrestrial transmitter or a satellite would be used and the set would automatically tune to the

emergency broadcast channel. The only disadvantage of this system is that to introduce a new generation of receivers

in analogue environment generally takes 5 to 10 years. With digital receivers, this would be somewhat easier

(Dunnette, 2006).


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Telephone (Fixed and Mobile)

Telephones can play an important role in warning communities about the impending danger of a disaster.There were

many examples of how simple phone warnings saved many lives in South Asian countries during the 2004 tsunami.

Perhaps the most famous was an incident that occurred in one small coastal village of Nallavadu in Pondicherry,India. A timely telephone call warning about the impending tsunami was said to have saved the villages entire

population of 3,600 inhabitants, as well as those of three neighbouring villages. Villagers of Nallavadu were

involved in the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundations Information Village Research Project. Vijayakumar, a

former project volunteer, was working in Singapore and heard a tsunami alert issued there. He immediately phoned

the research centre in Nallavadu, which issued an alert. His quick thinking, followed by swift and coordinated action,

led to the evacuation of the four villages before the tsunami hit the coast (Subramanian, 2005). In some countries,

mechanisms called telephone trees are used to warn communities of impending dangers. An individual represents a

node in a telephone tree.When that individual receives a warning message (either through phone or by other

means), s/he is supposed to make a pre-determined number of phone calls (usually four or five) to others in a

pre-prepared list. This arrangement not only ensures the timely delivery of the warning message, but also ensures theminimum duplication of efforts. However, there are two drawbacks to using telephones for disaster warning.

Telephone penetration in many areas is still not satisfactory particularly in rural and coastal areas most at risk.

Even with the exponential increase in the number of phones that has occurred in recent years, there are still many

regions in the Asia-Pacific region, where a telephone is considered a luxury. The other drawback is the congestion of

phone lines that usually occurs immediately before and during a disaster, resulting in many phone calls in that vital

period that cannot be completed.
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Short Message Service

Short message service (SMS) is a service available on most digital mobile phones that permits the sending of short

messages (also known as text messages, SMSes, texts or txts) between mobile phones, other handheld devices

and even landline telephones. During the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster in the US, many residents of affected

coastal areas were unable to make contact with relatives and friends using traditional landline phones. However, they

could communicate with each other via SMS more easily when the network was functional. This is because SMSworks on a different band and can be sent or received even when phone lines are congested. SMS also has another

advantage over voice calls in that one message can be sent to a group simultaneously.

Cell Broadcasting

Most of today's wireless systems support a feature called cell broadcasting. A public warning message in text can be

sent to the screens of all mobile devices with such capability in any group of cells of any size, ranging from one

single cell (about 8 kilometres across) to the whole country if necessary. CDMA, D-AMPS, GSM and UMTS[4]

phones have this capability. There are four important points to recall about the use of cell broadcasting for

emergency purposes:

There is no additional cost to implement cell broadcasting. It is already resident in most

network infrastructure and in the phones, so there is no need to build any towers, lay any cable, write any software or

replace handsets.

It is not affected by traffic load; therefore it will be of use during a disaster, when load spikes

tend to crash networks, as the London bombings in 2005 showed. Also, cell broadcasting does not cause any

significant load of its own, so it would not add to congestion.

Cell broadcasting is geo-scalable, so a message can reach hundreds of millions of people

across continents within a minute.

It is geo-specific, so that government disaster managers can avoid panic and road jamming

by telling each neighbourhood specifically if they should evacuate or stay put.

The only possible disadvantage to cell broadcasting is that not every user may be able to read a text message when

they receive it. In many Asia-Pacific countries, a sizeable population of the phone users cannot read and understand

a message sent in English.Thus, it is essential to send warning messages in local languages. However, these

messages would still be inaccessible to those who cannot read, even in their own language. The Dutch Government

plans to start using cell broadcasting for emergency warnings. The infrastructure is already in operation with the

operators KPN, Telfort and Vodafone. It is believed to be the first multi-operator warning system in the world, based

on cell broadcasting with government use (Clothier, 2005).

Satellite RadioA satellite radio or subscription radio is a digital radio that receives signals broadcast by communications satellite,

which covers a much wider geographical range than terrestrial radio signals. Satellite radio functions anywhere there

is line of sight between the antenna and the satellite, given there are no major obstructions such as tunnels or

buildings.Satellite radio audiences can follow a single channel regardless of location within a given range. Satellite

radio can play a key role during both disaster warning and disaster recovery phases. Its key advantage is the ability to

work even outside of areas not covered by normal radio channels. Satellite radios can also be of help when the

transmission towers of the normal radio station are damaged in a disaster.

Table 2: Radio Communication Media Used in Disaster Warning and Management
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The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has identified various radio communication media that can be

used in disaster-related situations (see Table 2).

Internet/Email

The role Internet, email and instant messages can play in disaster warning entirely depends on their penetration

within a community and usage by professionals such as first responders, coordinating bodies, etc.While these media

can play a prominent role in a developed country, where nearly half of all homes and almost all offices have Internet

connections, this is not the case in the developing world. In many developing countries, less than 5 percent of the

population uses the Internet and even those who are users do not use it on a regular basis. In such a situation, it is

difficult to expect Internet and email to play any critical role. In spite of that drawback, many disaster-related

activities are already underway within the Internet community. For example, a new proposal for using the Internet to

quickly warn large numbers of people of impending emergencies is currently being drafted by the Internet

Engineering Task Force.

At a 1997 international conference on Harnessing the Internet for Disasters and Epidemics, participants raised

issues affecting their ability to use the Internet for improving crisis management. Concerns included the high cost of

technology, a lack of content in local languages, and governmental controls on information exchange. The most

significant obstacle impeding widespread Internet usage was the widening gap between those with unlimited access

and those, whose access to information and new technologies was restricted by economic, linguistic, cultural or

administrative constraints, highlights the Pan American Health Organizations report on the conference. Without

direct communication between decision makers and without a free flow of reliable information among all involved,

effective contingency planning and emergency response are at risk (Putnam, 2002).
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Amateur and Community Radio

For almost a century, amateur radio (also known as ham radio) operators have assisted their communities and

countries during disasters by providing reliable communications to disaster relief organizations at a moment s notice

especially when traditional communications infrastructure breaks down. In such a situation, amateur radio

operators transmit emergency messages on voice mode about the well-being of survivors and information on

casualties to friends and relatives. As was evident during the Indian Ocean tsunami that destroyed electricity and

communications infrastructure in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, amateur radio operators were the critical link

between the islands and the Indian mainland and helped in the coordination of rescue and relief operations.

Besides disseminating voice-based messages, some amateur radio operators can also transmit in digital modes that

include technologies such as radio teletype, tele-printing over radio, packet radio transmission and the recent Phase

Shift Keying, 31 Baud a type of modulation. Amateur radio broadcasters are authorized to communicate on high

frequency (HF), very high frequency (VHF), ultra high frequency (UHF) or all three bands of the radio spectrum.

They require a license from the licensing authority to ensure that only competent operators use their skills. However,

depending on the country, obtaining a license can be a long process.

The most effective mode to exchange messages in an email-style is pactor using Airmail as email client and

Winlink2000 as network on shortwave. A very valuable advantage is that the user can address any valid

emailaddress worldwide through hf-radio and winlink. Destroyed internetinfrastructure can be bridged by this

technology until a gateway (more than 150 worldwide RMS) with working internetaccess can be reached. More

information about Winlink2000[1]

.

Messages can be disseminated using one or more of the available bands. HF waves travel long distances, while VHF

and UHF waves travel very short distances as these are line-of-sight propagation. However, repeaters increase the

communications range and temporary repeaters can be set up in an emergency so that messages can reach the nearest

town or city (Acharya, 2005).
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There are no well-known case studies where community radio has been successfully used for disaster warning

purposes. The main reason can be because this is not a widespread media channel in many countries. Even where

there are community radio systems, they operate within limited areas. Nevertheless, community radio is a medium

that can be very effectively used for disaster warning purposes.The effectiveness of this medium is being tested

through a disaster warning system implemented by Sarvodaya, the most widespread NGO in Sri Lanka (Daily News,

2006).

Sirens

Though not necessarily an ICT-based solution, sirens can be used in tandem with other ICT media for final, localized

delivery. The strengths of each medium and the challenges in using them are summarized in Table 3.

Table 3: Comparison of Different Communication Channels Used in Disaster Warning

GIS and Remote Sensing in Disaster Management[5]

GIS can be loosely defined as a system of hardware and software used for storage, retrieval, mapping and analysis ofgeographic data. Spatial features are stored in a coordinate system (latitude, longitude, state, plane, etc.) that

references a particular place on the earth.Descriptive attributes in tabular form are associated with spatial features.

Spatial data and associated attributes in the same coordinate system can then be layered together for mapping and

analysis. GIS can be used for scientific investigations, resource management and development planning.

Remote sensing is the measurement or acquisition of information about an object or phenomenon by a recording

device that is not in physical or intimate contact with the object. In practice, remote sensing is the remote utilization

(as from aircraft, spacecraft, satellite or ship) of any device for gathering information about the environment. Thus,

an aircraft taking photographs, earth observation and weather satellites, monitoring of a foetus in the womb via

ultrasound, and space probes are all examples of remote sensing. In modern usage, the term generally refers to

techniques involving the use of instruments aboard aircraft and spacecraft. As disaster management work usually

involves a large number of different agencies working in different areas, the need for detailed geographical
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information in order to make critical decisions is high. By utilizing a GIS, agencies involved in the response can

share information through databases on computer-generated maps in one location. Without this capability, disaster

management workers have to access a number of department managers, their unique maps and their unique data.

Most disasters do not allow time to gather these resources. GIS thus provides a mechanism to centralize and visually

display critical information during an emergency. There is an obvious advantage to using a map with remote sensing

or GIS inputs instead of a static geographical map. A static map is mostly analogous and is not interactive. On the

other hand, a vulnerability map with GIS input provides dynamic information with cause and effect relationship. As

shown in Figure 6, the visualization effect is much more effective in the latter case.

Figure 6: Difference Between an Ordinary (2D) Map and a Map with GIS Input

GIS-based space technology solutions have become an integral part of disaster management activities in many

developed and some developing countries. The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs has been

implementing a Space Technology and Disaster Management Programme to support developing countries in

incorporating space-based solutions in disaster management activities. The use of GIS in different phases can be

illustrated as follows:

Planning

Locating and identifying potential problems is a core requirement in disaster management. GIS can be used

effectively to achieve this objective. Using a GIS, it is possible to pinpoint hazard trends and start to evaluate theconsequences of potential emergencies or disasters. When hazards are viewed with other map data, such as

buildings, residential areas, rivers and waterways, streets, pipelines, power lines, storage facilities, forests, etc.,

disaster management officials can formulate mitigation, preparedness, response and possible recovery needs.

Information derived from remote sensing and satellite imagery plays an important role in disaster management and

crisis prevention. Their effective application depends not solely on technical specifications, but is influenced by

factors such as data collection, processing and distribution, capacity building, institutional development and

information sharing. Earth observation satellites could be used to view the same area over long periods of time and,

as a result, make it possible to monitor environmental change, human impact and natural processes. This would

facilitate scientists and planners in creating models that would simulate trends observed in the past, present and also

assist with projections for the future.
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Mitigation

After potential emergency situations are identified, mitigation needs can be addressed. This process involves

analysing the developments in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, evaluating the damage and determining what

facilities are required to be reinforced for construction or relocation purposes.Mitigation may also include

implementing legislation that prevents building structures in areas prone to earthquake, flood or tsunami. Other

mitigation approaches may target fire-safe roofing materials in wildfire hazard areas. Utilizing existing databaseslinked to geographic features in GIS makes the task of monitoring these possible.

Preparedness

During the preparedness and response phases, GIS can accurately support better response planning in areas such as

determining evacuation routes or locating vulnerable infrastructure and vital lifelines, etc. It also supports logistical

planning to be able to provide relief supplies by displaying previously available information on roads, bridges,

airports, railway and port conditions and limitations.Apart from this, activities such as evacuee camp planning can

also be done using GIS.

GIS can also provide answers to some of the questions important to disaster management officers, such as the exact

location of the fire stations if a five-minute response time is expected or the number and locations of paramedic units

required in a specific emergency. Based on the information provided by GIS, it is also possible to estimate what

quantity of food supplies, bed space, clothes and medicine will be required at each shelter based on the number of

expected evacuees. In addition, GIS can display real-time monitoring for emergency early warning. Remote weather

stations can provide current weather indexes based on location and surrounding areas.Wind direction, temperature

and relative humidity can be displayed by the reporting weather station. Wind information is vital in predicting the

movement of a chemical cloud release or anticipating the direction of wildfire spread upon early report. Earth

movements (earthquake), reservoir level at dam sights, radiation monitors, etc. can all be monitored and displayed by

location in GIS. If necessary, this type of information and geographic display can be delivered over the Internet to

the public.

Case Study:The Tsunami Early Warning System (TEWS) for South-East Asia

The Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004 took many Asian countries by surprise.There was virtually no warning

until thousands of people suddenly found themselves in the middle of giant killer waves. In the aftermath of the

tsunami, several international meetings have been held among countries in the Indian Ocean rim to concertedly

address threats from similar disasters. It was agreed that arrangements for a Tsunami Early Warning System (TEWS)

in the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia should build on existing institutions, strengthen national capacities,

integrate early warning with preparedness, mitigation and response (end-to-end), and must furthermore be integrated

into existing warning systems to promote a multi-hazard approach. The partner countries in this effort were

Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore,Thailand and Viet Nam. The Asian Disaster

Preparedness Center (ADPC) is a non-profit organization supporting the advancement of safer communities and

sustainable development through implementing programmes and projects that reduce the impact of disasters upon

countries and communities in Asia and the Pacific, by:

Developing and enhancing sustainable institutional disaster risk management capacities,

frameworks and mechanisms, and supporting the development and implementation of government policies;

Facilitating the dissemination and exchange of disaster risk management expertise,

experience and information; and

Raising awareness and enhancing disaster risk management knowledge and skills.

In March 2005, ADPC, in partnership with the Royal Thai Government and in collaboration with the United NationsEconomic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, organized a Regional Meeting of the above countries to


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assess the feasibility of implementing a Multi-Hazard Early Warning System in South-East Asia.

In April 2005, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka indicated interest in receiving similar support to enhance their national

early warning capacity and capabilities. Consequently, ADPC has been working with these governments and in the

Maldives to enhance emergency communication systems through an ITU-funded project. ADPC furthermore

completed an assessment of Sri Lankas early warning systems through a separate UNDP-funded project.

The donor agencies for the implementation of TEWS are UNDP, The Danish National Development Agency and theUnited States Agency for International Development (USAID). This warning system is designed to be end-to-end,

encompassing both technological components and the training of both affected and at-risk communities in

preparedness and response measures. Each component is important and should be given equal development focus.

The non-technical components of hazard mapping and risk assessment, risk reduction and preparedness activities,

and efficient warning dissemination reaching vulnerable local coastal communities are the most challenging to

develop in a comprehensive early warning system, as these involve societal dimensions.

Figure 7: Implementation Plan of the Tsunami Early Warning System

Some of the existing early warning systems in the region address recurrent hazards such as cyclones/typhoons,

floods and drought. Investing in hazard monitoring and forecasting for a rare event such as a tsunami is costly in

terms of capital and the required investment of human resources.

Hence, in the face of low tsunami frequency, but the prevalence of high-risk coastal zones (due to population growth

and development), resources to undertake hazard monitoring and forecasting are pooled in a regional monitoring

system and forecasting centre in order to provide an economically sustainable system. The technical components are

comprised of a network of seismographic stations, sea-level gauges and deep-sea pressure sensors, a data-processing

and tsunami forecasting centre, and communication links to regional tsunami warning centres. These are in turn

linked to national disaster management and warning systems. The network will utilize relevant facilities already

available in the countries (assessed by the Inter-Governmental Oceanographic Commission and in national

workshops arranged by ADPC) and consider the establishment of new ones.
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The network of accelerographs, to be located in islands close to the coastlines of Indonesia and the Nicobar and

Andaman Islands, will provide rapid estimation of the tsunamagenic potential of an earthquake. Deep-ocean pressure

sensors detect the early passage of a tsunami before it reaches shallow waters and the coast. Sea-level gauges, to be

strategically located close to tsunami sources and in areas that would provide sufficient lead-time for response, are

essential in determining the passage of a tsunami wave following an earthquake, to monitor its progress, estimate the

severity of the hazard along the coast, and provide a basis for declaring the end of a hazard. The sea-level gauge

stations are designed for long-term sea-level monitoring, but are capable of monitoring tsunami and storm surges.

High-frequency sea-level data will be transmitted via the European Organisation for the Exploitation of

Meteorological Satellites Meteosat-5 and the Japanese Meteorological Agency s Geostationary Meteorological

Satellites, and are connected to the Global Sea-Level Observation System Core Network.

Risk assessments and training will be conducted with the relevant national authority. Utilizing satellite imagery, GIS

and further applicable technologies, ADPC will support bathymetric surveys and national training workshops on risk

mapping, conduct a pilot risk-mapping survey (to be replicated in other vulnerable locations by the national

authorities), and support regional workshops on numerical prediction models facilitated by the acquisition of the

modelling tools. Community preparedness activities are the most critical component of this system. The

technological capacity of a system is obsolete without a prepared or fully aware public. Despite the dissemination ofa warning, communities that lack sufficient preparedness and training in effective responses to both the warning and

the event remain acutely vulnerable.

Figure 8: AlertNet Website
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References

[1] http:/ /www.winlink.org
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